Crime in America Syllabus for 2015-2016
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Instructor Information

Course Information

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Course

CRIJ-1307-001 Crime in America

Prerequisites

Course Description

American crime problems in historical perspective; social and public policy factors affecting crime; impact and crime trends; social characteristics of specific crimes; prevention of crime.

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Department Expectations

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Hours

(3 sem hrs; 3 lec)

Class Type

On Campus Course

Syllabus Information

Textbooks

Criminology, Steven E. Barkan 6^th Edition, ISBN# 978-0-13-345899-2

Supplies

Four (4) Scantrons with essay space booklets are required for exams. Students may either use a pencil or pen to complete the essay assignment, but a pencil must be used on the Scantron portion  

Student Performance

Student Performance / Learning Objectives
1. Be familiar with the sociological perspective and understand the mutual relevance of sociology and criminology.
2. Understand the relationship between crime, deviance and criminal law.
3. Be familiar with the various types of research methods in criminology.
4. Understand the relationship between public opinion and public policy.
5. Be able to evaluate the accuracy of news media coverage of crime and criminal justice.
6. Be acquainted with recent trends in U.S. crime rates.
7. Be familiar with the major social patterns of criminal behavior: gender, race, immigrant status, class and age.
8. Understand how victims are defined and be familiar with the study and analysis of victimization.
9. Be aware of the historical development of explanations of crime and deviance, from theology to science.
10. Be familiar with various criminological theories including, but not limited to rational choice, deterrence, routine activities, containment and social control theories.
11. Appreciate Emile Durkheim's contributions toward understanding deviance as a normal phenomenon and the influence of structural forces on individual behavior.
12. Be able to define specific types of violent crime and be familiar with their patterning and social dynamics and recent U.S. trends.
13. Be able to define specific types of property crime and be familiar with their patterning and social dynamics and recent U.S. trends.
14. Be able to define rape and battering and understand the social patterning of both, including the implications of social class and race.
15. Be acquainted with the various types of fraud and understand the costs therein.
16. Be able to define white-collar crime, including the conceptual problems involved.
17. Be able to define political crime and be familiar with the major categories involved.
18. Understand the issues surrounding the consensual crime debate.
19. Understand the history of drug use and the prevalence of legal and illegal drug use.
20. Understand the sociological prescription for crime reduction, including the components of primary, secondary and tertiary prevention strategies.

Students Rights and Responsibilities

Student Rights and Responsibilities

Log in using the AC Connect Portal

In order to receive your AC Connect Email, you must log in through AC Connect at https://acconnect.actx.edu .

If you are an active staff or faculty member according to Human Resources, use "Exchange". All other students, use "AC Connect (Google) Email".

Expected Student Behavior

Behavioral Expectations (Rules of the Classroom)

1.       Be in class on time, stay until the class is over.

2.       All cell phones, or other electronic communications devices, except laptops used solely for class note taking/presentations, are to be turned off.

4.       Texting and web browsing in class is unacceptable and will result in loss of participation points.

5.       Come to class prepared.

6.       Common respect and courtesy toward the instructor and fellow students is required. You are not required to agree with the ideas or opinions of others but you are required to show respect to any person voicing them.

7.       Cheating of any kind will not be tolerated. Academic dishonesty will result in a grade of zero, removal from class and referral to the college administration.

8.       Most importantly, come prepared to ask questions and offer ideas.

9.       Any problems with the material or class should be brought to the instructor’s attention as soon as possible.

Grading Criteria

Exams:
Each student will be required to take three (3) major exams and a mandatory comprehensive final during the semester.  
The exam will consist of 50 True/False, multiple choice and/or matching questions, and/or essay/short answer.  
The final exam will be comprehensive. The exam will consist of 100 True/False, multiple choice and/or matching questions. There will be no essay/short answer section on the final exam.

 Students will not be permitted to leave the classroom once testing has begun.  If the student leaves the room, then their test will be taken up and graded based on the questions they have answered up to that point.

Participation:

As part of the participation grade for this class, we will be discussing current events that are related to the criminal justice system. You will access the current event topics through Facebook, at https://www.facebook.com/groups/675849012545660/ in order to access this page you will need to ask to join the group.

• Each student will be required to actively engage in the weekly discussions.  You must be present and prepared to actively participate in class discussions.

 

Homework:

Each student will turn in homework assignments at the end of each chapter.   Each homework assignment is due at the beginning of class, NO LATE HOMEWORK WILL BE ACCEPTED. You must be in class to turn in your homework.

Grading Scheme:
Exam’s                           40%
Participation                   35%
Homework                     25%
Total                               100%

A = 100%-89.5%

B = 89.4%-79.5%
C = 79.4%-69.5%
D = 69.4%-59.5%

F = 59.4% and below
 

Makeup Policy:
NO EXAMS CAN BE MADE UP or RE-TAKEN. If an exam is missed, the grade will be replaced with the score you make on the final exam. This policy applies to one exam only. If you miss more than one exam, a grade of zero will be averaged for the other missed exams. If you do not miss any exam during the semester, the grade on the mandatory final exam, will replace the lowest major exam grade.

 

Extra Credit:

Extra credit is not mandatory and will only be given at the discretion of the instructor. 

Attendance

Attendance and participation are required. A student is allowed two absences. Each additional absence will result in 5 points being taken off of the participation grade.

A student is allowed to be late to class three (3) times. After the third time, any additional late entries to class will be counted as an absence. Late to class means entering class 10 minutes after class has started. An example would be if class starts at 9:00am and you arrive at 9:11 you would be counted late; however, if you arrived to class at 9:10 you would be counted present.

 

It is the student’s responsibility to drop a course or withdraw from the college. Failure to drop the course within a timely manner will result in the student receiving a performance grade, usually an “F”.

Calendar

Additional Information

	ALL ASSIGNMENTS MUST BE TYPED, HANDWRITTEN WORK WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED! Every assignment must have the following cover page attached. Title of paper Your name Crime in America Instructor Haskins
Homework Assignments	Chapter homework: There will be homework for each chapter covered. Each assignment will consist of a vocabulary section and a question and answer section. Homework assignments will be given at the end of each class period. The following format is required when completing homework assignments. Vocabulary: 1.           2.           3.           Questions: 1.           2.
Blackboard	Grading rubrics will be posted to Blackboard. Please look at these when completing an assignment so that you will know what is expected and how I will grade the assignment. Outlines of my Power Point presentations will be made available. However, having access to them is not intended to replace attending class. Students will be responsible for printing off any material that is posted to Blackboard.